Compass Bank may not have enough cash on hand in their branches when legitimate customers come to cash checks, money orders, etc.
I tried to cash some cashiers' checks the other day at the Compass Bank where I opened my account 4 years ago. I am an attorney, and my clients pay me with either personal checks of cashiers checks. I had some cashiers checks drawn from Wells Fargo and Amegy Bank. That means my clients paid cash to their banks to get those banks to issue Cashiers Checks to me.
So, I go into my Compass Branch and endorse the back of 4 checks, signing my name, and including my account number below my signature. I decide to deposit one of the checks into my account, but to cash the other 3 checks. The amount of funds in my account are greater than the amount of the 3 cashiers checks I am cashing (which shouldn't matter, because cashier's checks and money orders are as good as cash). The teller deposits my one check without a question. Then, she tells me that the Signature Verification software won't work for the other 3 checks. I ask her "what signature are you verifying? " And she says "Yours. "
What? I didn't sign those checks as a payor? My clients paid Wells Fargo and Amegy, and those 2 banks are the payors. I am just signing as a payee by endorsing the back of my check. I gave her my Drivers License and I signed it in front of her. I am an account holder there. I opened my account at that branch even (but the turnover there is so high, I never recognize any faces anymore). So, why do they need to verify my signature when I am standing right there? With a picture ID (Driver License).
She tells me, "You could go to Amergy and Wells Fargo and have them cash it for you." My response was, "They will charge me for each one, since I am not an account holder with either bank. That is why I came here, where I am an account holder! To avoid paying those fees! I could have just told my clients to come to my office and pay me cash! " She grunts and then says, "Oh, the Signature Verification software works now. "
(Which is odd, since it worked fine when she deposited my first check, but suddenly doesn't work when I want to cash out the other checks?). So, she pulls up a screen and says, without emotion, "Oh, your signature doesn't match. Its not you. " And then she just looks at me like I should just leave. I don't really take that very well. I say, "What are you talking about? You are claiming I am not **? And you are claiming that the signature I just signed in front of you is not mine? " She says, "Yes. See, the screen shows the account holders signature, and its different. The letters are more fluid and bigger. "
I say "Of course they are bigger - your screen is blowing them 3x larger than the actual size! And are you a handwriting analyst? How do you know they are different. They look the same to me! " I even point to my drivers license and show how the signatures match.
She just gives me a blank stare and says, "We can't go by DLs, we have to use the Sig-Ver software" - which is not even a real handwriting analysis software. It is merely a PDF cache of all my prior signatures, and the teller merely eyeballs the one in front of her vs. that one. It is obvious that she is looking for an excuse not to cash these checks. I endorsed all 4 checks in front of her. She accepted the one for deposit without question. But the ones for cashing, she claims she can't use the software, and then when she can, she claims its not the same signature, even though it clearly is.
By this time the branch manager has come out and basically tells me that I can't cash the checks. I asked if they can look at the other 100 signatures of mine on file. I tell her that I sign a little different each time, whether its the 20th affidavit I am signing in a row, or a birthday greeting card to my son (the first is hasty, the latter is always neater!).
She then reluctantly starts to check other signatures on file! I even start signing my signature to blank paper I see (backs of deposit slips) just to prove how the same signature looks depending on how fast or neat I sign it. They give me real grief over this. They tell me that another reason they don't want to cash the cashiers' check is because there might be a stop payment on it. I say, "Is there? " And the teller says, "No, not yet. " I say to the manager (who is now standing right next to me) "Then it doesn't matter. Unless there actually is one, why mention it? You will deny my cashing this check on the basis of a Hypothetical stop payment?
What happens if there is one, after I walk out of here, are you going to chase me down and take the money back? " She responds, "Yes, and we'll call the cops too if we have to. Which is what is going to happen if you don't leave right now. " I said, "Look, my driver license and my social security card are right here. You see my picture matches me. I am account holder here. Why would I deposit one check but cash the others if I was not the person on the account? You have my thumbprint on file. Can I give you a thumbprint now? " She says, "Enough sarcasm, we are calling the cops. "
I finally get my cash, but only after the threats to call the police. I make the comment, "I bet that you guys are being reluctant to cash my checks because you don't have enough cash on hand to cover it, huh? I bet this fractional reserve banking results in a policy of denying cash outs every chance you can. Because you have given me three ridiculous excuses to not cash the checks (1) software not working (2) software working but my signature is not my signature, (3) there might be a stop payment, in the future, after you cash it, but you have no way of knowing that might happen. Wow. All to stop from cashing my checks.
At that point, the manager gets very heated, very angry and tells me that I am to never come to the branch again, on risk of being arrested! And she practically screams it. Which makes me wonder -- was I right? Did I hit a nerve? Maybe the problems that BBVA is having and the Spanish government is resulting in their branches holding less cash on hand, which means when someone wants to cash out close to $3000 (but has well over 5x that amount in the account already), they must get nervous.
I don't know, but I am closing my compass account and opening up an account with a local Credit Union. I refuse to be humiliated by a teller who can look me in the face and say that my signature that I just wrote in front of her is really not my signature. I doubt they are hiring tellers on the basis of their ability to do handwriting analysis. And if they are that concerned with account holders looking like the real deal, but not signing it exactly the right way, there is analysis software that can figure it out independent of the teller's subjectivity. And there is biometric software they could use as well. My iris scan and my thumbprints would have eliminated this stupid fiasco altogether. But to allow their teller to be able to make snap judgments about handwriting and to deny service to 4-year customers over such subjective and untrained conclusions is ridiculous. What is next? A teller looking at a Driver License and saying "Nope, not you in the picture! "
Well, since some of us age and gain weight or lose weight and only get DL pictures once every 7 years, its only natural we change. But a facial recognition software would see that you are the same person, despite the changes. A minimum wage teller, with a chip on her shoulder, can claim that you are someone different, and apparently, her word can be final.
Give a little bit of power to a very bitter person, and they will use it to harm as many as they can. Compass needs to change this policy very quickly. Account holders in person should not have to need a teller to interpret a signature when the account holder has just proven by ID and password who they are. IF Compass expects their tellers to perform this level of security analysis, then they at least better start hiring handwriting experts who know what the heck they are doing! I was told to leave and never return to that branch.
I complained to the Corporate office about this, but have not heard back. I will be closing my account. Oh, and I will tell my doctor clients, whose signatures are horrible, that they better stop using Compass as well. Tellers apparently have the ability to deny service based on exactitude of signatures, regardless of photo id, etc.